Posted on 7th January 2015 by Hintons
London, being the sophisticated and highly developed world city that it is, would like to pride itself on its rates of recycling. Unfortunately however, the rate of recycling in the capital dropped for the first time last year, with only 33.9% of household rubbish now recycled, the first recorded drop since recycling records began in 2000.
National Recycling Rates
National recycling rates have now plateaued, with around 44% of all household waste now recycled rather than sent to landfill, which means that London is lagging behind the rest of the nation, with the gap only getting worse. This is bad news for the British environment as well as the economy, with government critics blaming the Coalition for making drastic cutbacks to vital public services, meaning that councils are forced to make efficiency measures leading to a drop in household recycling.
London’s Recycling Rates
The British government set itself a recycling target of 50% for all waste nationwide by 2020, while the EU is pushing for a 70% recycling rate by 2030- both targets are now looking increasingly less likely to be met unless current trends are reversed. While local authorities are given responsibility for recycling collections, some inner London boroughs are really struggling, including:
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Barking and Dagenham
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Lambeth
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Westminster
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Hammersmith & Fulham
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Wandsworth
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Lewisham
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Newham
Newham (a former Olympic Borough in East London) has the worst rates of recycling in the capital, with just 17% of household waste collected for recycling. Traditionally, recycling levels in inner London have always lagged behind those in the outer boroughs, with many residents living in blocks of flats without easy access to recycling facilities.
Waste disposal in London
The Department for the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) announced that 40% of waste is now incinerated, a 17% rise in two years, with obvious negative implications for the environment and the problems of waste disposal in the capital. Landfill taxes are now estimated to cost Londoners upwards of £300 million annually, adding significantly to already high council tax bills for hardworking people.
While it’s important to recycle as much consumer waste as possible, it’s just not viable for most councils to recycle some categories of waste. To help with waste disposal in this instance (for example if you’re undertaking a house clearance job, a kitchen refit, disposing of furniture without fire hazard certificates, or doing a lot of DIY) then skip hire could be the answer. Because Hinton’s Waste promise to recycle 90% of their waste, by using their services, you will still be making a choice that’s both responsible as well as green.
Our service is both convenient and affordable, with same day skip hire often a possibility. Contact us today for your free, no-obligation quote and to discuss your requirements. Covering the Wandsworth area as well as other locations, it’s never been easier to hire a skip to dispose of your waste (and recycle it too) in the capital.